This invention relates to handtrucks, and particularly to handtrucks with a collapsible supporting surface or table element.
Conventional handtrucks generally comprise a U-shaped or O-shaped main frame with a handle at one end and an axle with wheels and a toe blade generally perpendicular to the frame at the other end. The use of toe blade extenders on handtrucks to facilitate the handling of bulkier items is also a conventional feature. Handtrucks with collapsible platforms attached thereto are also known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 454,461, 2,430,107 and 2,784,004. In the last-mentioned patent, the platform is pivotally attached to the frame of the handtruck and horizontally supported at a right angle to the frame by a collapsible leg structure. In this manner, the platform may be used as a working table. The primary drawbacks of this type of construction are that: the collapsible leg structure adds considerable weight to the handtruck, making it difficult to hoist it manually in and out of trucks or otherwise manipulate it; the perpendicularly extending work surface is of limited area, and requires a much more extensive and heavy collapsible leg structure to support any increase in area; and the work surface must be tilted in order to move the device, thus necessitating removal of objects or tools that would otherwise fall off.